by ammyford1
He looked blank and I realised we had our cultural differences. “It’s a famous novel on Earth depicting a society in which people’s lives are controlled by the state, their every move watched,” I explained.
Ahran appeared unmoved. “Surveillance and traceability are facts of life here. We don’t give it a second thought.”
I’d forgotten that everyone here was chipped. I’m not sure how I felt about it. Was it better for everyone’s safety that people were so easily identifiable or was it a step too far?
The landscape was beginning to change and we were moving into what looked more like suburbia. The order and organisation of the city were echoed in the residential areas. Like many of the other buildings I’d seen here, people’s homes were modern and mostly single storey. Ahran explained that this was because they had less of a visual impact. Houses and roads were organised in a grid-like pattern but the landscape was not ugly, in fact far from it, it was very beautiful in a structured kind of way. There were plenty of trees and the gardens were all well-cared for.
“People seem to take a pride in their gardens,” I observed, my thoughts turning to the odd garden back in Hatherley where the owners had allowed them to become overgrown and unsightly.
“Gardening is a national pastime here. It’s part of our culture to take care of the spaces we live in. The government offers reduced housing rates for people who take care of their properties, although it isn’t really necessary because there is a certain amount of social pressure to look after your plot within the neighbourhood.”
“We could do with more of that back home,” I reflected. “What was it like where you were brought up?”
“I grew up in the city. My father worked long hours and would sometimes stay out all night so it was important we lived close to where he worked.”
I detected a note of bitterness in his voice.
“You didn’t like living there?”
“No, I didn’t mind it, what I objected to was having a workaholic for a father.”
I got the distinct impression I’d hit a raw nerve. It wasn’t the first time Ahran had appeared tetchy over the subject of his father. I looked at his face and his expression was deadpan.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You weren’t prying. My father was a pretty lousy father,” he said with a frown.
I felt decidedly uncomfortable.
“Come to think of it he was also a pretty lousy husband to my mother. She didn’t have it easy. She worked part-time as a teacher and then spent the rest of her time trying to make up for my father’s lack of interest in family life.”
I just nodded. He was beginning to open up and I didn’t want to say anything that would prevent him from carrying on.
“He never seemed to be able to find any time in his busy schedule to spend time with his children,” he said.
“If it’s any consolation, I lost my dad when I was six so I never really knew what it was like to have a dad either,” I said, trying to show my support.
“At least your father had a good excuse,” he said with a wry smile.
“Do you get on with your father now?” I asked.
“We have a... formal relationship,” he said with a degree of condemnation. “It’s not as if we can even reminisce together because we don’t have a history to reminisce about. I don’t enjoy his company. He makes me feel like I am being interviewed the whole time.” He paused. “To be honest it was a relief when I left home to go to college, at least I wasn’t constantly being reminded of his shortcomings.”
I was sure there were times when Toby had daydreamed about what it would be like to have a father. From the little I had learnt about Tagan it sounded like he might have been a better father than Ahran’s had been. Maybe, when this horrible episode was over and Toby was safely out of Bazeera’s clutches, Toby would be able to build a relationship with his father’s cousin, at least then he might not grow up feeling the bitterness of never having a good male role model like Ahran obviously did.
“Do you get on better with your mother?”
“Yes my mother and I have a good relationship, I am lucky, some people don’t get on with either of their parents, and of course I have Elaya. She is not only my sister but I count her as a friend. She has always been there for me.”
I pictured Ahran’s striking sister and began to understand how Ahran must have felt when he had found her beaten and lying in a ditch near Toby’s school.
“Have you heard from her?”
“I spoke to her yesterday, she is feeling much better. Don’t be fooled by Elaya’s feminine exterior, she is tougher than she looks.”
I was relieved to hear that she was on the mend. I’d only met her briefly but having just learnt that she had been there for her brother, who had clearly suffered as a result of their father’s disinterest in his children, had made me warm to her more.
“You are very lucky to have your sister,” I said wistfully.
“Okay, now I feel awkward,” Ahran replied, looking more than a little uncomfortable himself. I smiled letting him off the hook.
“It’s been a year since Katie died and I still fantasize about her walking through the door as if the accident had been some kind of sick joke.”
Ahran looked troubled. “The loss of someone you love is hard to come to terms with, but it does get easier as time passes,” he said after a little while.
“Thanks, that’s good to know.”
I stared out of the window. We were travelling through more open countryside now. The landscape was flat and vast and I could see for miles. In the distance was a mountain range jabbing the cerulean blue sky. Everywhere was green and lush and there were herds of animals, sheep and cows dotted over the landscape in whichever direction I looked. From my level vantage point I could see the odd homestead. I figured each farm must be very large.
“Is your land like this?” I asked, changing the subject. I wondered how long it would be before I started to feel more able to talk about my sister. It was still so painful.
“My land isn’t quite as flat, but it is just as green.”
“I’d like to see it,” I said without thinking. What was I saying? Visiting Ahran’s home was a bad idea.
“I’d like to show you it,” he said quietly, something about his tone made me turn towards him.
My eyes searched his face. He seemed a little unsettled by what he had just said himself.
“It’s a very peaceful place,” he continued quickly. “There is a river that runs along the southern boundary and it’s teeming with wildlife. At this time of the year, the fledglings are venturing from their nests, it’s fascinating to watch.” I was moved by his obvious love of the countryside and before I could stop myself, I pictured us lying lazily on the bank of the river, watching the comings and goings of the riverside birds. I closed my eyes to erase the image.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, no, it’s nothing,” I said wearily. I was weary from worrying about Toby, weary from the stressful and frightening situation I had found myself in and weary from fighting my feelings for him. I knew I was losing the battle.
We stopped to get some food and then I spent the next few hours trying to busy my mind with other things. I hadn’t thought about poor Audrey since Toby had been kidnapped, and I felt guilty for not being there for her. I wondered whether she had regained consciousness and what the doctor’s conclusions were about the effects of her stroke. I vowed to phone the hospital as soon as I could. Maybe, I’d even get to speak to her. The thought of hearing Audrey’s calm, reassuring voice lightened my mood. My thoughts turned to Bennie and I wondered what she had told the police. It can’t have been easy explaining my sudden disappearance. I was pretty sure I owed her big time. I would make it up to her somehow, but for now, I was stuck in this place and as beautiful as it was I wished more than anything that I was back living my uneventful life with Toby, contemplating a future with Marcus, never having even heard of
Ramia.
Chapter 14
We drove all day.
It was dark when I woke up and I had a crick in my neck. I stretched and tilted my head from side to side to try and loosen the tense muscles.
“Did you have a good sleep? Ahran asked.
I rubbed the back of my neck and took a deep breath in an attempt to shore up my crumbling defences before I looked across at his face.
“Yes, just a bit stiff. Have I been asleep long?” His handsomeness was not diminished in any way by the poor light. In fact the dimness within the car heightened my other senses and I became all too aware of him. Just focus on what you are here for Sophie. I opened the window to get some fresh air.
“About an hour and half,” he replied. “Do you want to hear some good news?”
I detected a note of optimism in his voice and it snagged my attention.
“I could do with some good news right now,” I muttered. “What is it?”
“Whilst you were asleep I had a phone call from Halsan, one of his agents reported a sighting matching the description of Toby.”
“Really?” It was the best thing I’d heard in two days. “Where?”
“Near Terrina. It’s still a long way away, but it’s a lead.”
“Well let’s head there then.”
“We will. There is a night train leaving at eleven from the next town, it will take us straight into Terrina. We’ve got a few hours to kill so I suggest we stop, get some food and freshen up.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said brightly. I felt relieved I wouldn’t be spending another night in a hotel with him, somehow sleeping on a train didn’t seem quite so bad and at least we would be in separate bunks.
We travelled the few remaining kilometres to the motel and I began to feel more optimistic. Before, it had felt like we’d been travelling blindly, but now we had somewhere definite to head to.
We arrived at the motel which was more dated than some of the other buildings I had seen in Ramia, but it was neat with colourful planters outside. We parked in front of a single story block with a row of numbered doors. Ahran got out of the car and I quickly re-did my ponytail. He got our bags out of the boot and I joined him in the well-lit car park. How was he still able to look devastatingly good after a day stuck in a car?
“Shall we eat first?” he asked.
“Good idea, I’m starving.”
He took my hand in his. I wasn’t prepared for the sudden contact and a charge of current shot up my arm making my knees unstable. If only I didn’t feel that, if only my body didn’t react to him like it did. He would be so much easier to resist. I felt angry at myself for being so weak and then I felt angry towards him. You would never know he was engaged to be married, he was far too tactile. I didn’t want to create a scene in the car park but I did slip my hand away from his.
I’ve just got to get through the next few days, I’ve just got to get through the next few days, I chanted silently as we walked towards the small diner situated next to the motel.
The warm glow of the restaurant was inviting and the delicious smell of home cooking made my stomach rumble as we walked through the door. A jolly looking middle-aged man approached us and spoke in Ramian to Ahran. Apart from the height, I wondered what it was about me that indicated I wasn’t Ramian.
The waiter showed us to our table and we sat down. There was no menu on the table or anything hi-tech just an ordinary chalk board attached to the wall with what I presumed was the menu written on it. I squinted at the indecipherable script; there wasn’t one letter I recognised. The waiter left us to make our decisions.
“Let me translate,” Ahran said, reading the blank look on my face.
He ran through an appetising list of meals. Most I recognised, although he had to explain a couple of things I’d never heard of. I finally settled on a chicken dish with a creamy sauce served with fresh vegetables and crispy potatoes. My mouth watered at the prospect.
The waiter reappeared and Ahran reeled off our order to him. The waiter smiled pleasantly, poured us some water from the jug on the table and went into the kitchen. Ahran leant in slightly. There was another couple and two families already eating their meals and talking quietly amongst themselves.
“You must be hungry. You haven’t eaten since this morning,” I said. From what I had observed so far he had a massive appetite.
“You’re right I could eat a hippopotamus.”
I smiled at his choice of big things to eat. It must have been something in the translation.
I looked into his lovely eyes. It would be so easy to reach out and touch him.
“So, have any of the King’s agents come up with anything else?” I asked by way of distraction.
“No, nothing.” He hesitated and took a sip of water. “I wasn’t going to tell you this but I think you should know…two of his agents have been killed.” He paused. “We need to be vigilant. Bazeera does not want us to find Toby and she’s doing everything she can to make sure we don’t.” He took a sip of his water and tilted his head in acknowledgement of what he was about to say. “But the sighting of Toby is a good lead and we should be able to trail him more easily now we know where to start.”
The journey ahead of us still seemed impossible, and with the unwelcome piece of information about the King’s agents, the danger we were in was undeniable.
“I suppose finding him is one thing, but actually getting to him without anyone getting hurt is another matter altogether,” I said, voicing my fears.
“You leave getting him to me. You aren’t going anywhere near where they are holding him.” There was a warning look in his eyes.
“I’m coming with you,” I said, standing my ground.
“Sophie, I am telling you now you are not.” There was a razor sharp edge to his voice and some of the people in the restaurant looked in our direction. They quickly turned back to their meals when I met their eyes. “Be reasonable,” he said more quietly. “This is how I used to earn my living. I’m not putting your life at risk any more than it already is.”
I wanted nothing more than for Toby to be found and brought back safely, but the thought of Ahran putting himself in considerable danger was a difficult pill to swallow.
“Well, shall we just see where he is first?” I wasn’t prepared to give in just yet.
“Has anyone ever told you that you are stubborn?” he asked, his anger dissipating.
“I am not stubborn,” I said stubbornly.
He raised an eyebrow at me.
“I just know… my own…mind,” I faltered.
He beamed his heart stopping smile knowing that I had just dug myself into a hole. I had trouble breathing. I had a hard time doing even the simplest things when he smiled at me like that.
“Are you aware that you do that?” I said without thinking.
“Do what?”
Oh God, what had I started?
He was waiting for me to continue.
I took a deep breath. “You have a way of smiling that makes it very difficult for a woman to think straight. You did it to the poor girl at the airport check-in, the flight attendant on the plane and the woman at the hire car desk. They didn’t stand a chance.”
“I didn’t realise,” he confessed. “And does it have the same effect on you?” he asked, leaning in further. He still had that glint in his eyes, but some of his light-heartedness had disappeared.
I hesitated, should I lie or just tell him the truth? To be honest it would be a relief to just tell him how he made me feel but I knew that would just be plain madness.
“Yes,” I said simply. There was no need to give him an exhaustive update on the pitiable state of my emotions.
“Very interesting,” he said. “Is there anything else I do that has an effect on you?” he asked, his tone lowering. I began to feel like a cornered animal. I knew I shouldn’t have started this. “It doesn’t matter,” I said, hoping that he might just drop it, but judging by the expression on his face, I knew I
was about to be disappointed. Suddenly, I had a better understanding of what small defenceless fish feel like when they’re being circled by a large predatory shark.
He picked up my hand and started to rub circles with his thumb in my palm.
“I know that you are not immune to this,” he tormented.
“Don’t!” I warned as I withdrew my hand into my lap. I struggled to ignore the increase in tempo of my heartbeat, which was not helped by the realisation that he could probably hear it.
I looked up into his eyes expecting to see a hint of playfulness but he returned my look with such intensity that it made my breath catch in my throat. Fortunately, I was rescued by the waiter who offered us some bread rolls. I slumped back into my chair. I felt light-headed and was grateful for the few seconds of respite the waiter serving us afforded me. Ahran’s eyes didn’t leave me which made it even more difficult to establish any kind of regular breathing pattern. I tore my eyes away from his. I needed to distance myself from him. I asked the waiter where the Ladies loo was. He didn’t understand and Ahran had to translate. It struck me just how reliant on him I was. The waiter pointed to a door on the other side of the diner.
“Excuse me,” I said, scraping my chair back as I stood up. I threw my napkin on the table and made my escape to the ladies restroom.
I braced myself against the sink and sucked in some deep breaths. I could feel tears prickling at my eyes. I rubbed my hand across them angrily. Damn him! I may be emotionally fragile but I was damned if I was going to let him play me for a love sick fool. I leant over the sink and splashed some cold water on my face and patted it dry with a paper towel. I pulled my hair band out, scraped my hair back and tied it tighter than it was before. It was time to put an end to his flirtations, other women may fall at his feet but I was not about to be the next in line. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders feeling more resolute.
Ahran was staring out of the window but looked in my direction as I approached. I felt his eyes searching my face.
“Have I upset you?”
“What makes you think that?” I said as I sat down without making eye contact. I placed my napkin back across my lap.